Lesson video

Hello there, my name is Mr. Robertson and I'd really like to welcome you to another RE lesson.

This lesson is part of our unit entitled "Religion and the Media: How can we live online together?

" This lesson is entitled "Social Media: How does it influence our views on religion and belief" and we're going to be looking at the rapid rise of the use of social media and the different ways in which it could be used to describe and influence our views on religion and belief.

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to explain how social media influences understanding of religion and belief and why using critical awareness is important when evaluating online messages.

We have three key words to help you understand the lesson today.

Our first lesson, our first word is engagement.

And engagement is about how people interact with a post online, such as liking, commenting or sharing.

Our second word is influence.

An influence when someone's thoughts or behavior are shaped by the content they see.

And an influencer is a person who aims to shape someone's thinking.

And finally, we have the word social media and they are online platforms where people create, share and interact with content and communities.

So this lesson is in two parts.

In the first part of the lesson, we're going to be thinking about the power of social media.

So what is social media?

Well, social media, as we've heard earlier, is online platforms where people create, share and interact with content and communities.

Social meaning 'one' and 'media.

' And these are spaces where people form communities and they're also channels of communication that deliver information to the public.

No doubt you are aware of different social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X and Snapchat.

Ofcom is the national organization which looks at broadcast media and social media.

We've got some data here from the years 2020 to 2025.

This data shows us the percentage of users of social media as a source of news by age group.

So in other words, the percentage tells you the number, the percentage of people who use social media as their source of news.

You may want to pause the video and look quite carefully at this data so you can see what it's saying.

I've got a question for you as well.

What does this data show us about who is most likely to engage with social media news?

You can see that people in the 16 to 24-year-old bracket get 75% of their news from social media and that declines with age.

So young people are the heaviest users of social media as a source of news.

We've got some further data from Ofcom here and it shows us what percentage of people aged 16 to 24 use different social media platforms.

And again, I've got a question for you here.

Which social media platforms do most young people engage with?

So you can see the number one is Instagram with 85%, second TikTok, 78% and third, Snapchat, 75%.

I wonder if that bears out your experience.

Jacob and Andeep are discussing which social media platforms they prefer.

Jacob says, "I prefer Instagram because I have a profile people can see and engage with.

I also watch Reels where I learn about current events and different opinions.

" And Andeep says, "I prefer TikTok because I can watch videos and share them with friends.

I learn about what's happening through the world through short clips and people explaining stories.

" I wonder if you engage with any social media platforms and if so which ones and why?

So social media is built about connection and this means that it could influence many people.

I've got a diagram here to kind of explain this for you.

So let's start with Andeep.

Andeep watches a TikTok and he uses TikTok to send it to Jacob.

Jacob watches the video and sends it on to his friends and so we can see how the influence can spread quite quickly using social media.

Andeep sends the video to several friends and they send it on to their friends too.

A few people share an idea, it gets shared again and again.

Eventually, the original post might have been engaged with by thousands of people.

This is what we mean when we talk about a post going viral.

There are both positives and negatives to a post going viral.

On one hand, it can be important or helpful if information can reach a large number of people very quickly.

That might be information about, say, an upcoming weather alert or a system of potential danger.

We want that information to be spread as quickly as possible.

On the other hand, disinformation, false or misleading information, can spread quickly and influence large audiences before there's a chance to correct it.

The original idea might have been disinformation.

People might share it without checking and then it becomes misinformation.

And that's the problem when stuff becomes misinformation.

Let's just check our understanding so far.

I've got a true or false question for you here.

Social media is less powerful than traditional media.

What do you think, considering what we've just been thinking about?

Excellent, it's false because social media is built around connection so people can share posts quickly with each other and spread information or disinformation much quicker than with traditional media.

Laura describes how she engages with social media.

She says "When I get home I usually relax by watching TikToks.

I watch loads of different skincare videos and I always find there are plenty of these in my feed.

Most of the people I follow absolutely love this one moisturizer and I always like their posts.

It must be the best one out there because so many of the videos in my feed are genuine reviews where people say it really works.

" I wonder if you use social media what you notice about what appears in your feed?

Does it reflect things that you've been looking at or following or liking recently?

Laura says, "When I get home I usually relax by watching TikToks.

" Now, when she does this and she enjoys the skincare videos and finds them she's describing what we call a filter bubble.

And a filter bubble forms when social media uses algorithms to predict which content you're most likely to engage with.

Your feed fills up with the same kind of content that you usually click on.

Seeing more and more of the same topics makes it feel that that's all there is online, but actually, it's the algorithm in the social media feeding you the information that it think you want to see based on your previous likes.

She goes on to say, "Most of the people I follow absolutely love this one moisturizer and I always like their posts.

It must be the best one out there because so many of the videos in my feed are genuine reviews where people say it really works.

" Now here, Laura is describing an echo chamber.

An echo chamber forms when most of the posts you interact with come from people who share your opinions.

Your feed fills up with people saying the same thing.

Hearing that view repeated again and again can make it feel obviously true while other perspectives barely reach you.

So you see how algorithms are driving this filter bubble and echo chamber meaning that a result of that is that the user of social media is presented with similar opinions and similar information and similar stories.

Laura is wondering, "Why is it a problem if our feed only shows us things we agree with?

" Well, one potential problem is that any stories that don't fit with what you currently engage with won't appear in your feed.

And that means you won't see stories that challenge you or give you a fuller picture.

Laura says, "Oh, I see.

So if a review saying a moisturizer isn't actually that great, I probably wouldn't even see them.

Perhaps I should look for a wider range of opinions.

" Another true or false just to check this learning.

A filter bubble limits the types of content you see, while an echo chamber limits the range of opinions you hear.

Is that true or false?

Think about what we were talking about with Laura just then.

Well, it's absolutely true.

Brilliant!

Because a filter bubble is shaped by your interests, but an echo chamber is shaped by argument and repeated opinions.

I want to give you an example of how these can come together.

In 2023, within hours of the California wildfires starting, fake images of the Hollywood sign burning were being shared on social media such as X, TikTok and Facebook.

This wasn't really true, it was fake news, but it reached thousands of people fast enough that news outlets and fact-checkers had to step in to correct it before its influence had spread too far.

It's a brilliant example of how viral posts can spread misinformation very, very quickly before other media and fact-checking sites can actually stop it.

Zoe is a psychologist and she explains why social media means some stories spread so rapidly.

Zoe says, "A lot of news spreads quickly because it triggers strong emotions like fear or shock.

When a story feels dramatic, people share it.

This is what happened in 2023 when the post's claimed the Hollywood Sign had burned down.

The idea of such an iconic landmark being destroyed was so striking that the rumor traveled fast across social media.

In reality, the story was fake news.

News, whether genuine or an example of disinformation spreads fast on social media because of human psychology.

When we read posts we can't experience emotional arousal.

Strong emotions like fear or anger makes us more likely to share a story.

We have something called the illusory truth effect and that means we're influenced more when we hear something repeatedly.

Finally, there's the idea of confirmation bias which is that we pay more attention to something that already supports what we think.

We're just more predisposed to believe it if it fits within a worldview that we recognize within ourselves.

And then there's the idea of social reward and that's that our brain likes, shares, approval encourages us to pass information on.

It hits the kind of dopamine senses in our brain and so we love to get those likes and we're more likely to share stuff to get that response.

So all of these different mechanisms mean that we are more likely to share information and believe things or pass on shocking information.

Let's just think about what's going on here.

A story keeps appearing in your feed because you've seen it so many times it starts to feel true.

What is this an example of?

A, emotional arousal.

B, the illusory truth effect.

C, confirmation bias.

D, social reward.

Excellent, it's B, the illusory truth effect.

Okay, let's think about what we've been learning so far.

I'd like you, drawing on our learning so far, to explain how a single false story on social media can move from one person's screen to thousands of people and influence their views.

I'd like you to use every stage of the chain below.

The story spreads through connection.

Filter bubbles and echo chambers mean people can see more of the same content.

Misinformation and disinformation means fake news can be shared inadvertently.

Human psychology, emotional arousal, confirmation bias, the illusory truth effect, social reward helps the story to spread.

You can use an example of a story that we've talked about or one that you know yourselves.

Can you explain how and why it might go from a single post to thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people using it and being influenced by it.

Well, great thinking everyone.

So you might have said that social media spreads false stories so quickly because each stage amplifies the last.

Connection means one person shares a post with a friend who engages with it and shares it again and soon it reaches thousands.

That rapid sharing makes the story go viral and means it influences many people.

Algorithms then push it into filter bubbles so people who engage with similar content see it immediately.

Echo chambers reinforce it further because users mostly hear the same opinion repeated.

If the original post was disinformation, people may pass it on without checking, turning it into misinformation.

The Hollywood Sign rumor in 2023 shows this perfectly.

Dramatic images triggered emotional arousal, people shared them fast and repetition made the claim feel true, even though it wasn't.

If you've managed to explain some of that process and use some of these terms, then that's brilliant.

In the second part of this lesson, we're going to be thinking about critical awareness.

So, we're going to meet someone now called the Reverend Pippa White and she is a Church of England priest who's become known as a TikTok vicar because of the way she uses the platform to connect with people.

She's been asked "Why did you start using TikTok?

" Pippa says, "I made a few videos and they weren't getting many views, but I was having fun.

I was just making them for myself, to be honest, and then one of them went viral and I felt like I might as well carry on.

It's mostly a very joyous thing, which is really fun.

" Pippa's TikToks are light-hearted and humorous, and they include topics such as what it's really like to baptize a baby, giving up men for Lent, the difficulty of teaching Sunday schoolers about St.

Valentine whilst remaining single and bitter.

What her prayers as a priest are really like, how she thought working with children would be and how it really is, and what it would be like to be a chaplain at Hogwarts.

Tia is a Methodist Christian and she follows the Reverend Pippa White on TikTok.

She says, "I really relate to Pippa's TikToks and often find they help me understand different perspectives, such as the role of women in Jesus's life and more inclusive ideas about LGBTQ+ people.

I also enjoy seeing other aspects of her life like her love of Taylor Swift, her dog Fred and playing rugby.

Some of my non-Christian friends watch her too because they enjoy her videos even though faith is not part of their lives.

Pippa's been asked, "How have people reacted to your success as a TikTok vicar?

" Pippa says, "I've had DMs with people really disagreeing with what I do, but for me, the way I make my TikToks reflect how I do my ministry, day to day, face to face.

" She's also asked the question, "Do you think social media can replace going to church?

" She says, "I'm very aware social media is not a replacement for the church.

I think there's something about human communities that have to be face to face.

I don't want to encourage people to stay online.

" So let's just check our understanding so far.

The Reverend Pippa White says, "The way I make my TikToks, how I do my ministry, day to day, face to face.

" Which word did she use to help us complete this sentence?

Excellent, it was the word "reflects" wasn't it?

Pippa White said she tries to make her TikToks reflect her actual day-to-day life.

It's not something she puts on as a show or misrepresents.

Laura is discussing a different Christian influencer.

His name is Lewis Kent and he frequently posts online.

She says, "Andeep, have you heard of Lewis Kent?

He's a Christian influencer.

He's popular because a lot of people find him relatable and he tells personal stories that make his opinions easy to understand.

" Andeep says, "No.

What does he talk about?

" Laura says, "He thinks Christianity is under attack from secular ideas.

He posts that same-sex marriage is wrong and says women should focus on being wives and mothers following Bible teachings.

" Laura says, "Here's a TikTok of him speaking at a public event.

" Lewis Kent says, "God has given men and women different roles and the Bible is clear about this.

Ephesians 5 tells us that wives should submit to their husbands as to the Lord.

If we follow his plans we can build strong families, honor our faith and restore the values our communities were built on.

" Laura's cousin is interested in Christianity.

She says, "My cousin follows Lewis Kent.

When I asked him what he thought about that TikTok, he said, 'This speaks to me because it gives me clear guidance.

When life and relationships feel confusing, knowing the Bible sets out a plan makes me feel secure and confident about how things should work.

'" Andeep says, "I can see Lewis Kent's posts get thousands of views, shares and likes, but there are some who dislike them too.

Look at this comment on his TikTok about the roles of men and women.

@faithfulteen123 said, "This doesn't represent Christian views.

Women can be leaders and share roles equally with men families.

" And it's been liked 101 times.

Some of Lewis's online posts get many likes and very few dislikes.

I wonder, thinking about what we've learned so far, if we can explain why this might happen.

A, his views reflect the opinions that most people have.

B, videos that are controversial tend to get more likes.

C, viewers mainly see content that confirms their existing beliefs.

Think back to the first part of this lesson.

Which answer makes the most sense?

Excellent, it's C isn't it?

Viewers mainly see content that confirms their existing beliefs.

Therefore, Lewis Kent's posts are being shared by a group of people who like that sort of thing already and so it's very unlikely he would get dislikes in the same way.

Laura and Andeep have been learning about how to apply critical awareness to the content they see online using a series of questions.

Who created it and who is the focus?

What is claimed?

Why was it posted?

How is it presented?

When was it posted?

Where was it posted?

Trying to establish these facts can be really helpful to think through what is this material we seen online.

Is it genuine?

Is it harmful?

Is it telling the truth?

Laura says, "I think the most important question to ask is, who Lewis Kent is?

" Andeep says, "Lewis Kent is a white, male, Christian, social media influencer who presents himself as an authority on biblical teaching.

He speaks confidently and positions himself as a defender of traditional Christian values, particularly around gender roles.

How might reflecting on who Lewis Kent is help us understand the message he shares?

Now you may want to pause the video at this moment and think about this.

So knowing a little bit about his context, his background and his gender, and what he says about himself makes a lot more sense when we then consider the message that he's sharing.

We also need to think about why he's posting content.

Andeep says, "Lewis Kent shares his views to influence people to follow what he thinks the Bible says about men and women.

His aim is to get his followers to agree with him and to make himself look like an important Christian voice online.

" I wonder how my reflecting on why Lewis Kent shares his views help us understand the content he presents?

Well, we've already talked about, haven't we, in the first part of this lesson, how sharing shocking or controversial opinions will get more people sharing and spreading that message.

And if Lewis Kent's aim is to be seen as an important Christian voice, he wants to get his voice out and heard as many times as possible so more people are following him and that builds up his case that he's an important voice.

True or false?

A clip shows Lewis Kent speaking directly to the camera using strong emotional language about community values.

Asking how he presents his post is the best way to understand the influence he has on viewers.

Do you think that is true or false?

Excellent!

It's true, isn't it?

Because how looks at the way Lewis Kent delivers his message.

Speaking directly to the camera with emotional language affects how viewers feel about it.

We're going to hear a little bit more about Lewis Kent now, and we're going to be thinking about him in terms of this task.

In a recent online talk, a conservative Christian speaker shared his interpretation of what the Bible says about men and women's roles in family life.

Speaking to hundreds of young adults, he explained how he believes men and women can support each other in marriage and parenting, citing specific passages from scripture.

The video has been widely shared on social media and received strong support from many viewers, though others have pointed out that not all Christians interpret these teachings in the same way.

Andeep has started to think about whether the headline fairly represents Christian views.

The headline was "Christians believe a woman's place is in the home.

" He says this headline makes it sound like all Christians think this way.

Working with a partner, I'd like you to re-read the press release that I've just read to you.

You can find it in the additional materials.

And then I'd like you to re-write the headline so it represents Christian views more fairly.

Then I'd like you to share your headline with another pair and justify your changes.

Think about what we've been learning about.

Think about the different perspective we've heard from Lewis Kent and, of course, the Reverend Pippa who's presenting a very different view of being Christian.

Good luck with your press releases journalists and I look forward to seeing what you've come up with.

So, I wonder what you came up with.

We changed the headline to "Conservative Christian speaker shares his views on women's roles in the home.

" And we did this because the press release says he spoke to hundreds of young adults and explained how he believes men and women can support each other in marriage and parenting.

The headline reflects that it's his personal interpretation and also matches that many viewers supported him rather than suggesting all Christians think the same way.

I wonder what kind of headline that you came up with?

Did it reflect that nuance which we were talking about?

Did it try to rebalance the information so it wasn't misinformation.

Really well done if that's what you managed to do.

Let's summarize what we've been learning today.

So we've learned that social media spreads information using algorithms that makes posts viral.

We've learned that emotional content, confirmation bias and social reward drive engagement and result in likes, comments and shares.

We've learned that religious influencers like TikTok vicars present faith in accessible, relatable and engaging ways.

We've also learned that posts can oversimplify teachings or misrepresent religion and algorithms reward engagement, not accuracy.

And finally, we've learned that popularity and emotional appeal do not always reflect the truth or reliability of religious content.

I hope you found this useful and it might influence the way that you look at social media in the future and I look forward to seeing you in another lesson soon.

Thank you.